“Adequate? Sweet Jesus. Come here.”
She climbed over him and lay on his chest. “I guess I don’t need to worry about getting with child doing it that way.”
With child.
Daniel’s heart nearly stopped. He had promised Lily that he wouldn’t impregnate her. He was supposed to pull out, or use a French letter, or do something. But he hadn’t. He hadn’t at all. Ever. She could very well be breeding. Although the thought of her lush body swelling with his child filled him with a primal joy, his stomach churned with guilt and remorse. It was a new feeling for someone who was used to thinking only of himself. He had completely violated her trust.
“Oh no,” he said aloud.
“What is it?”
How could he tell her that he had been so blinded by desire for her that he hadn’t bothered to take care of the one thing she had asked of him? She would hate him.
“Nothing, love. It’s just that, I want to please you now.”
“You don’t have to.”
He silenced her with his mouth, and then turned her over onto her back. He kissed her breasts and her belly, lifted her knees and dove into her, feasting on her taste, her scent, the feel of her. Soon she was shivering, moaning, as his fingers and tongue brought her to orgasm. He continued to lick her, plunder her, driving her to another climax, and then another, the sound of his name from her ruby lips fueling him to greater and greater passion. He pushed farther, even as the pleasure became too intense for her and she pleaded for him to stop. He forced her to the pinnacle again and again, until she was screaming in joyful agony.
When he finally released her, looking into her beautiful face tormented with ecstasy, savoring her spicy aroma, her sweet milky taste, a decision came to him quickly.
He could not let her go.
He would not let her go.
No other man would know her as he did. He would possess her body and mind. Her heart. Her soul. He would do whatever necessary to keep Lily at Laurel Ridge. With him. Forever.
He crawled atop her and thrust himself into her body, making her his the only way he knew how.
Chapter 11
A brisk knock on her chamber door startled Lily. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as she lay down after Daniel had returned her to her chamber early that morning. Rose had been sleeping soundly and hadn’t stirred when Lily came in. Rose got up and went to the door. A housemaid stood there, feather duster in hand.
“Yes, what is it?” Rose asked.
“I beg your pardon, milady. Your parents want to see you and Lady Lily in the private sitting room of their chamber right away.”
Rose yawned. “Why? What time is it anyway?”
“It’s half past nine, milady, and I don’t know what they want. They bid me to fetch you and your sister. A servant is fetching your brother at the bachelor house.”
“What on earth?” Lily stumbled out of bed and joined Rose at the door.
“Mummy and Papa want to see us in their sitting room,” Rose said. “I don’t know why.”
“Yes, I heard,” Lily said. “But I’m too tired. I’m going back to bed.”
“But milady,” the maid pleaded. “I was bid to tell you to come quickly!”
“Why? Is something wrong?” Rose asked.
“No, milady. Your parents are well. But they said the matter was of utmost importance.”
“We’d better go, Lily,” Rose said. “They wouldn’t send for us this early if it wasn’t important.”
“You go, and then you can come back and tell me what the devil is so urgent to wake me up at this hour.”
“Lily…”